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Tunnel Drilling Project Sends Rats Into Downtown Buildings

(TO GO WITH AFP STORY BY HENRY ORREGO) Rats stand on an explosive decoy during a searching practice on September 9, 2008, in Bogota. The Colombian police is developing a training programme with rats to make them find anti-personnel mines. AFP PHOTO/Mauricio Duenas (Photo credit should read MAURICIO DUENAS/AFP/Getty Images)(photo credit: MAURICIO DUENAS/AFP )

(CBS Seattle) — A local pest control company says it’s seeing an increase in business because of the Highway 99 tunnel project.

Sprague Pest Solutions told KIRO TV the drilling has sent rats fleeing into buildings in downtown Seattle. The business is now using rolling bicycle ads to alert building managers to seal cracks so rats can’t get inside. The company told KIRO it’s seen a 60 to 80 percent increase in calls since the tunnel project began, as the shaking of the ground sent rats out of their hiding places.

A tunnel project spokeswoman told KIRO that contractors set dozens of traps, but have not noticed a significant number of rodents. Project managers also say much of the tunneling is done below sea level where rats don’t live.

Sprague Pest Solutions predicted the resurgence of rats last year as the project got underway, saying similar rat displacements also happened during the construction of the Seattle bus tunnel, the Columbia Center, and the Kingdome demolition.